Clip assembly



Feb. 13, 95l H. A. BAUER CLIP ASSEMBLY Filed April 18, 194e t INVENTOR. 'I

f@ F 2\.. .I Z Z Q r- 5 J @ff 1 lo 0 5/ x 2 1 lobi Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STAT ES! ATENT OFFICE CLIP ASSEMBLY `Hans* A. Bauer,l Prairie View, Il1. assigner to Autopoint Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April.18, 1946, Serial No. 663,051

Claims. (Cl. 24-11') The present invention relates to a clip for fountain pens, mechanical pencils and the like', and especially to a novel clip construction and assemb ly and to the manner of locating and mounting the clip in the cap of a fountain pen or mechanical pencil.

The invention comprehends a novel clip and resilient mounting therefor so constructed and arranged as to facilitate the asssembly of the clip by a simple operation. It further permits the ready removal or replacement of the clip or. spring mounting, should the occasion require, Without the necessity oireturning the cap tothe manufacturer.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel spring means for exerting the desired tension uponthe clip, and in the novel means and manner of applying or positioning the spring, in the cap. This spring in addition to applying the desired tension, also anchors and retains the clip in its centered, operative position.

,Further objects are to provide Va construction of maximum simplicity, eiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later moreY fully appearV and are inherently possessed thereby i The invention further resides'in the` construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated' in the accompanying drawing, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of modication and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts; features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

. In the drawing- Fig. l is al view, part in side elevation and part in vertical cross-section, of a cap for a fountain pen', pencil or the like, and showing the novel clipvapplied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section through the novel clip and cap assembly,l the View, being taken onv the 1ine'2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the clap.l

4(Fig. 1-.is a viewin perspective of the cap sleeve. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the novel clip. Fig. 6 isa perspectivev view of the spring or tension means for mounting and retaining the clipv in the cap. jFig. 7 is a View in side elevation of the spring anda tool about to receive the spring for mounting it in position.

Fig. `S is a viewv in` front elevation ofthe tcolj and spring received thereon and ready to. loe".l mounted in the cap.

Referring more particularly to the novel' ile lustrative embodiment shown in the drawing,

' the invention comprehendsV a clip I disclosed" as? applied to the-cap 2 of` a pencil, fountain penl orj similar article 3A adapted to be carriedr in or" attached tothe pocketV or other partI ofthe-cloth-A ing. To preventaccidentalv or unintentional` re-f Inoval of the pen, pencil or the like from the pocket or other part of' the clothing, the cli'pi's` adapted to` yieldingly grip the material of' the-f pocket or other support'.

The present novel clip yisV provided with a* shanleA having at one-end'a rounded-end or tip 5, and;l at its other end isv provided withA anA arcuate-1 shaped part 5 adaptedvtobe received inan-arcuate-shaped slot 'l andlconformto the'slot` and the outer rounded contour of the upper end` of. the`A cap 2. InY order toanchor thev clip in the. capbut permit limited mov-ment of the rounded tip or end 5 from. the bodyv of the cap whereby the clipv may be attached to a pocket or. other sup port,. this clip is provided.` with an irregular-15H shaped lug-.or projection 8; adjacent the arcuate end ii and adaptedto extend inwardly into andV be resliently mountcdin the interior4 of the cap by means or a springt).L

To properlyv mount and; fulcrumV the clip in. the' Cap., the latter at.theentlsA of. the slot 'l is bent. 0r deformed inwardly tcY form flanges or projet@ tions iii and I-I., and-Within the Cap is provided; a sleeve i2. This sleeve is held therein bytightfrictional fit with opposed; portions of the-uppil. end of the sleeve being. bent. inwardly and-downf, Wardly to provide" inturnedy @anges I3 and. i4 forming a pair ofA downwardly opening channels or grooves i5 and i6 belowthe flanges [Sand i4 which, in turnabut the underside of the flanges lli and il which provide a stop therefor.

As the slot 1 extends completely across the upper or outer end of the capand tothe same extentA alongV either side, and the channels. L5- and i6 in the. sleeve I2 .are also symmetrically dis-r posccl, the clip may be inserted ateither side fof. the slot. After the. clip has been mounted in its proper position withv the end H of thearcuate part 6 abutting or seating upon either ange or.

to receive the spring in the manner shownin Figs. 'z andy a m ,whichthe upper Aenc or each bi"- furcation of the tool is notched to engage the lateral projections or ears I8 and thereby lift and carry the spring into the upper end of the cap. To anchor the spring in position, the free end I9 thereof is first moved into a channel or recess I or I6 in the sleeve I2 and the bifurcated end 20 is moved or lifted beyond the lug or projection 8 on the clip and then moved laterally into a position above the upper edge 2l on this projection. Withdrawing or lowering the tool after the end 20 is positioned adjacent the upper edge 2| and in alignment therewith, permits this bifurcated end to span or bridge the thickness of the lug or projection 8 and become anchored thereon. A shoulder 22 on the lug limits the movement of the end 20 in one direction while the construction of the spring is such as to Wedge this end into the corner as shown in Fig. l.

When the spring is located in the assembled position shown in Fig. l, the shank 4 and curved end or tip 5 on the clip may be withdrawn from the body of the cap under tension of the spring 9. This movement is guided and limited by the end I1 of the clip abutting against a ange or projection I0 or II of the cap, and the cam surface 23 on the projection or lug 8 riding over the adjacent lange I3 or I4 on tne sleeve.

It will thus be seen that the invention comprehends a novel clip and mounting assembly that is composed of a minimum number of parts, is easily assembled or disassembled, and in which the clip is interchangeable. The cap need not be returned to the manufacturer should the owner desire to replace a clip and/or spring, but such replacement may be easily and quickly made by a retailer or one having a tool similar to tool A for removing or replacing the spring.

The cap, sleeve and clip may be of any metal or other material suitable for the purpose, and due to the novel construction and arrangement of the cap and clip assembly, the head of the clip may be inserted from either side of the slot and the clip may be mounted at either side of the cap. This greatly facilitates the manufacture and assembly of theparts and results in an appreciable saving in the cost of production. Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. A clip and cap assembly for a pencil, pen or the like, comprising a hollow cap open at one end and closed at the other end except for a transverse slot extending through and completely across the closed end thereof and opening into the hollow interior, a clip having a curved tip at one end and an arcuate part at the other end conformably received within and projecting through the slot and provided with a depending lug projecting into the hollow interior of the cap, and a spring located wholly within the cap for -mounting Iand retaining the clip in the cap and having one end anchored in the cap and the other end projecting over and anchored upon the depending lug for locking thearcuate part within the slot and urging the curved tip into gripping action with a pocket or other support upon which the clip is mounted.

' 2. A clip and cap assembly for a fountain pen, pencil and the like, comprising a hollow cap open at one end and closed at the other end except for a transverse slot extending across and completely through the closed end thereof and opening into the hollow interior of the cap, a clip having ashank projecting along the exterior of the cap and provided with a part at one end tensionally retained against the exterior of the cap but readily withdrawn therefrom for securing the cap upon a pocket or other support, an arcuate part at the other end conformably received within the slot with the extreme end of the arcuate part disposed adjacent one end of the slot, and a projection depending from the arcuate part adjacent the other end of the slot and extending through the slot into the interior of the cap, and a spring located wholly within the hollow of the cap and insertable only through the open end for mounting and retaining the clip in the slot of the cap and having one end anchored in thecap and the other end anchored upon and interlocked with the projection for applying tension to the clip.

3. A clip and cap assembly, comprising a hollow cap for a fountain pen, pencil and the like open at one end and closed at the other except for a transverse slot extending through and across the closed end and opening for the length thereof into the hollow interior of the cap, a clip having a shank provided with a curved tip at one end, an arcuate head at the other end conformably received within and projecting through the slot and provided with a depending projection extending into the interior of the cap, and a curved leaf spring located wholly within the cap and adapted to substantially encompass the projection with one end anchored in the cap at one side of the projection and the other end bifurcated and projecting over and interlocking with the upper edge of the projection for detachably mounting the head in the cap and for applying tension to the clip.

4. In combination, a hollow cap for a fountain pen, pencil and the like, said cap having a slot extending completely across the normally closed upper end of and opening into the hollow interior of the cap with the material of the cap at each end of the slot turned inwardly to provide thereat a pair of oppositely disposed shoulders, a sleeve mounted within the cap and provided with oppositely disposed inturned flanges abutting the underside of the shoulders in the cap, a clip having a shank provided with an arcuate part conforming to and received within the slot in the cap and with its extreme end seating uponeither of said shoulders, a depending projection on said part spaced from the end and projecting through the slot into the interior of the cap and sleeve, and a leaf spring located within the interior of the cap and sleeve and having one end engaging and anchored beneath the inturned flange on the sleeve and shoulder at the end of the slot opposite that against which the extreme end of thel arcuate part seats and the other end of the spring anchored onto the projection Yfor mounting and retaining the clip in assembled relation and spring-biasing the clip whereby to apply tension to and resiliently urge the shank against the cap.

5. A clip and cap assembly for a fountain pen, pencil and the like, comprising a hollow cap open at its lower end and closed at the upper end except for a slot extending completely across and through this upper end and opening into the hollow interior of the cap, a shoulder provided at each end of the slot, a sleeve mounted within the cap and provided with oppositely disposed, inturned fianges in alignment with and abutting the shoulders in the cap, a readily removable vand interchanegable clip having a shank, an arcuate head conformably received in and projecting through the slot into the hollow interior of the cap, said head having an end seating upon an adjacent shoulder of the cap and a depending lugv toward the cap.

HANS A. BAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sheaffer Jan. 27, 1914 Fitzpatrick July 15, 1919 Widmer Dec. 7, 1926 Alexander Feb. 12, 1942 Feg June 1, 1943 Bauer et al Apr. 1, 1947 

